Before You Begin Your GA Position
Receiving an offer of a GA position is the first step to becoming a GA at SIUE. Once you have received an offer of employment, there are a few more steps to go through before you are officially hired:
- Your hiring unit will create an online contract for you that will need to be electronically approved by several representatives in other offices.
- If you are a new GA or a GA who has had a break in service, you will need to complete an I9 in person with your hiring unit within 3 business days of your start date. New GA's also need to complete state and federal tax documents (W4's) and submit them to their hiring unit. New international GA's will need to make an appointment with Denise Hunt in Human Resources to complete their W4's.
- You will receive an email at your SIUE email account from no-reply@mail.kualibuild.com with information on completing an online hiring packet. Your payroll record and tuition waiver will not be processed until this step is completed.
If you have questions about the details of the position you've been offered, please contact your hiring unit. If you have questions about the graduate assistant hiring process, please contact the Graduate School.
Graduate Assistant Orientation
All newly hired graduate assistants, including teaching assistants, research assistants, and general assistants, should complete the online GA orientation. The online orientation can be accessed at any time through the GA Orientation website.
After your GA contract is executed, you can also access the GA Orientation in Blackboard listed under "My Organizations" on your Blackboard homepage. This resource will be available to you throughout your time as a GA, and we encourage you to access it not only when you are beginning a new position, but frequently throughout your time as a GA.
The GA Orientation is designed to provide information relevant to GA's working in positions across campus in a variety of capacities. Many hiring departments will include additional orientation activities designed to provide specific information regarding your role and departmental practices.
GA Orientation includes a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to the below:
- Introduction to the Graduate School
- Accessing the GA Handbook
- GA Eligibility and Appointments
- Payroll Information & Direct Deposit
- Tuition Waivers
- Professionalism in the University Environment
- Legal Considerations, including Title IX and FERPA
- GA Benefits, including Paid Leave and Earned Summer Tuition Waivers
- Counseling Services, including Submitting SIUE Care Reports and videos on Self-Care and Coping with Anxiety & Grief
- Teaching Resources including Classroom Management, Academic Misconduct, and Supporting Students (ACCESS, Learning Support Services, Lovejoy Library, and more)
- Researcher Resources including Research Integrity, Research Misconduct, and Research Compliance
Accessing the Details of Your Position
When your online hiring packet is finished you will receive a confirmation email at your SIUE email account with a copy of your position details. The email will include your start date, end date, stipend amount, appointment percentage, supervisor, and job duties. Please keep this email for your records.
Employment Verification
Former and current GA's that need proof of employment must submit the Request for Verification of Employment form to the Graduate School. Request forms can be submitted by emailing graduateschool@siue.edu. Requests for GA employment verification from outside organizations will only be granted with a signed release from the current/former student. If you have questions about GA employment records please call 618-650-3164.
International Graduate Assistants
There are a few special parameters for graduate assistants who are also international graduate students.
- I-9's: You will be required to show your hiring unit your I-94 and I-20 when completing your I-9 in person with the hiring unit. Please have these documents ready before meeting with your hiring unit.
- Enrollment: All graduate assistants enrolled in less than 6 graduate credit hours in the fall/spring and less than 3 graduate credit hours in the summer should submit the Graduate Assistant Underload/Overload Approval form. This is not the same as the Reduced Course Load form available through International Student and Scholar Services. If you are required to complete the Reduced Course Load form and you are enrolled in the minimum hours required for your GA position, you do not need to submit the Underload/Overload Approval form.
- GA Position End Date: International graduate assistants are not permitted to work on campus after the program end date on their I-20. It is the student's responsibility to inform their supervisor that they can no longer work on campus from this date.
